Which method is used to ensure timely detection of connection failures in TCP?

Using keepalives is a method that provides timely detection of connection failures in TCP. This mechanism involves sending periodic signals or packets at predefined intervals to ensure that a connection is still alive and functional. If the sender does not receive a response from the receiver within a certain timeframe, it can determine that the connection has failed and take appropriate action, such as attempting to reconnect or alerting the necessary systems or users to the issue.

Ping, while useful for checking if a host is reachable, does not provide the same level of ongoing connection management as keepalives. Simple pings may indicate that a host is alive, but they do not necessarily confirm that an established connection is still active. Similarly, SNMP traps are more about monitoring network devices and responding to specific events rather than directly managing TCP connection states. Heartbeat signals can serve a similar function to keepalives but are generally more associated with application-level protocols rather than the inherent TCP protocol itself. Hence, keepalives are specifically designed for the purpose of connection status monitoring within the TCP protocol framework.